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My case study upholsters and restores furniture for a living.

CASE STUDY “Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English word upholder,[1] which referred to a tradesman who held up his goods. Traditional upholstery uses materials like coil springs (post-1850), animal hair (horse, hog and cow), coir, straw and hay, hessians, linen scrims, wadding, etc., and is done by hand, building each layer up.” I loved finding a correlation between my case study’s job and yoga. Ashtanga yoga is made up of eight all important limbs and upholstery is also multidimensional, using many old tried and tested methods, following a lineage of artisans or practitioners it is a creative, absorbing, physically challenging, at times frustrating and ultimately rewarding path. Furthermore upholsterers work on layers of material to build up a final completed work similarly yogis are working on the layers of the self, the physical layer or physical body through asana practice which in turn nourishes into the deeper layers of the body, mind, spirit. Enough of the wonderings, here are the details of my friend and case study.

My case study and long term friend is a 47 year old mother, self employed furniture uphosterer, approaching peri menopause with hip, knee pain and stiffness from kneeling and bending for long periods of the extended work day. Recently she has also been feeling arthritic.

* Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis and is caused by normal wear and tear throughout life; this natural breakdown of cartilage tissue can be exacerbated by an infection or injury to the joints, it can feel like a dull ache or burning sensation.

We met three times for an hour each time and our first meeting covered discussing symptoms & lifestyle. As I have gained a lot this year from the Ayurvedic tradition of skin brushing and massaging the body with sweet almond oil I recommended this to my c.s as something to indulge in too. Skin brushing exfoliates dead layers of skin and reveals a youthful layer of skin. Dry brushing is invigorating, aiding the circulatory, digestive, lymphatic, endocrine and immune systems of the body. As my c.s is feeling so stiff I recommended the use of props to support and restore in poses such as bridge. We talked of the benefits of lying on the floor with legs up the wall (Viparita Karani) which she could also do with her two children - which they find fun and creates a novel setting for sharing the day’s news. I demonstrated Ujjayi pranayama and extolled its virtues including the stimulation of the circulatory and respiratory systems. I feel it is crucial for my c.s to take ample time to rest in a busy life of care giving and working with little time for self as well as paying close attention to a healthy balanced diet and drinking 2.5 litres of water per day to remain hydrated.

During perimenopause women can experience weight gain, sleeplessness, mood swings & hot flushes due to fluctuating hormones. Yoga is thousands of years old and its side effects of lowering anxiety, increased poise and confidence, normalised blood pressure, practising asana can help with periods of transition as seen in the words of Nancy Gilgoff.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Ashtanga Yin Yoga is helping me transition through menopause in an open and fearless way. After all I transition about 100 times a day. So I don’t see menopause as an approaching doom, a line that I’m crossing into “ageing”; that’s all because of Ashtanga” Nancy Gilgoff.

Here are some of the poses we talked about, I demonstrated and we practiced together when we met the 2nd and 3rd times.

Cooling poses like a seated forward bends, held for 1-3 minutes to get the benefits. Forward folds are designed to decrease tension and mental stress and can help to alleviate hot flushes.

Restorative poses like supported Baddha Konasana or Viparita Karani can ward off headaches and backaches.

Standing poses can relieve stress and depression.

12 poses to help with Osteoporosis Tree, Warrior, Triangle, Side angle stretch, Camel, Cobra, Locust, Downward facing dog, Bridge pose, Reclining Hand to big toe pose, Sage pose, half Spinal twist.

7 Poses to help with Fatigue Bridge, Camel, Cobra, Downward dog, ½ Lord of the Fishes, Lord of the Dance and obviously Savasana.

4 poses to help with arthritis, Mountain, Warrior 2, Butterfly and Staff pose.

I printed out colour photo pictures of these poses which my c.s has stuck to her fridge and is practicing when she can, again sometimes with her children. Remembering that practicing these asanas can be cleansing, purifying, pacifying and stimulating and nourishing.

She feels that after a few weeks of yoga stretches her hips are easing and are not so stiff. She is eager to invest in her health and wellbeing and the yoga poses we have seen offer a manageable way of infusing and devoting some time and love into the self. I really enjoyed "working" on this case study and offering some ideas for tweaking lifestyle patterns through yoga, Ayurveda, healthy eating. I also felt very lucky as my case study paid for me to have a massage to thank me for the time we spent together.

The Autonomic Nervous System

5 Vayus diagram Read further: http://sequencewiz.org/2014/09/03/5-vayus/

The 5 Vayus

THE FIVE VAYUS Through their exploration of the body and breath, the ancient yogis discovered that prana (life force energy) could be further subdivided into energetic components they called Vayus (winds). The five Vayus of prana all have very subtle yet distinct energetic qualities, including specific functions and directions of flow. The yogis were able to control and cultivate these Vayus by simply bringing their focus and awareness to them. Through this conscious control and cultivation they were not only able to create optimal health and well-being, but were able to activate the primordial Kundalini energy to obtain states of enlightened Samadhi. Complete mastery over the Vayus is not necessary to benefit from using them to improve our inward focus and the ability to feel the subtleties within the body. Cultivating a basic awareness of one or more of the Vayus will help us deepen our awareness of body and breath to enrich our yoga practice. The two most important Vayus are Prana-Vayu and Apana-Vayu. Prana–Vayu is situated in the head, centered in the third-eye, and its energy pervades the chest region. The flow of Prana-Vayu is inwards and upward. It nourishes the brain and the eyes and governs reception of all things: food, air, senses, and thoughts. This Vayu is the fundamental energy in the body and directs and feeds into the four other Vayus. To experience Prana-Vayu: Close your eyes, sit or stand with a long spine and relaxed body, and as you inhale feel an energy flowing up the torso from the belly to the third-eye. Apana–Vayu is situated in the pelvic floor and its energy pervades the lower abdomen. The flow of Apana-Vayu is downwards and out and its energy nourishes the organs of digestion, reproduction and elimination. Apana-Vayu governs the elimination of all substances from the body: carbon monoxide, urine, stool, etc. To experience Apana-Vayu: Close your eyes, sit or stand with a long spine and relaxed body, and as you exhale feel an energy flowing down the torso from the top of the head to the tailbone. Vyana–Vayu is situated in the heart and lungs and flows throughout the entire body. The flow of Vyana-Vayu moves from the center of the body to the periphery. It governs circulation of all substances throughout the body, and assists the other Vayus with their functions. To experience Vyana-Vayu: Close your eyes, sit or stand with a long spine and relaxed body, and as you inhale feel the breath radiating outward from the navel to the arms and legs. Udana–Vayu is situated in the throat and it has a circular flow around the neck and head. It functions to “hold us up” and governs speech, self-expression and growth. To experience Udana-Vayu: Close your eyes, sit or stand with a long spine and relaxed body, and as you inhale and exhale feel the breath circulating around and through the head and neck. Samana–Vayu is situated in the abdomen with its energy centered in the navel. The flow of Samana-Vayu moves from the periphery of the body to the center. It governs the digestion and assimilation of all substances: food, air, experiences, emotions and thoughts. To experience Samana-Vayu: Close your eyes, sit or stand with a long spine and relaxed body, and as you inhale and exhale feel the breath rising and falling in the front, sides and back of the torso. Awareness of one or more Vayu has several applications in yoga, and is most easily illustrated within a yoga posture. The awareness of Prana-Vayu creates a focus to lift, lengthen and open the upper body. The awareness of Apana-Vayu creates a focus to ground and stabilize the lower body. The awareness of Vyana-Vayu creates a focus of strength and fluid movement body. The awareness of Udana-Vayu creates a focus to maintain a long spine and a correct posture. The awareness of Samana-Vayu creates a focus to open and relax the body. Written by Timothy Burgin

Inspired by metaphors in movement, spatial awareness and a simple life, Sarah Manwaring-Jones has shared yoga for the last 10 years. She integrates a deep love of nature and the human form into the ancient practices of yoga through embodied principles of tensegrity and honoring her own experiences of life, love and loss. Sarah feels yoga is a gentle and kind hammock, a wide-open space to rest into for support in our busy lives.

Think about being a balloon during yoga practice: light & strong.

Bio tensegrity

Another wonderful weekend of YTT, our 5th together so a mere two to go. In One module our teacher Karen Breneman covered the basics of the architectural concept Tensegrity coined by Buckminster Fuller & Its living form counterpart Bio Tensegrity. The following article is from Gaim TV www.theyogastudiosquamish.com Tensegrity in the Human Form: Creating Ease In Your Yoga Practice Tensegrity is a term that was first described by Buckminster Fuller as an architectural term. It is defined as a balance of discontinuous compression elements, which are connected by continuous tension forces, which allow any system to exist in balance. Expressed in a living form, Dr. Stephen Levine defined it, biotensegrity. In our case, as human beings, the fascial matrix and muscles form the system of tension and the bones float within the matrix creating relationships of discontinuous compression that connect through the whole system. "A model based on Fuller’s Tensegrity…may also be utilized to demonstrate the structural integration of the body. All our previous concepts of biomechanics of the body will have to be reassessed in relation to this model and our therapeutic approaches to the musculo-skeletal system will have to be revised." ~Stephen Levine I read that Dr. Ida Rolf used to say to her students that it’s not the bones which hold the muscles or the muscles which hold the bones but rather that the bones should float inside the flesh. I like this. Essentially, our bones are floating in our tissues. None of our bones actually touch one another. A single breath creates dynamic relationships in 136 joints in the human body. When balanced, in relationship to gravity, movement transfers through our living systems evenly and there is no single place in the body, which needs to single-handedly support us. Try this. Stand on your two feet and close your eyes. Visualize this idea: none of your bones actually touch…your bones are swimming around inside the tension of your connective tissue matrix. What effect does this have on the way you feel inside the ocean of your body? This model of the human body differs from Newton’s model of the skeleton and joints like a frame, from which the soft tissues are suspended. We move, flow and breathe unlike mechanical structures, like a house, with right angles and parallel lines. Examples of Tensegrity in Nature: DNA Helix structure. Old growth tree blowing in the wind. Bicycle wheel with spokes. Balloon. Single Cell in the human body. Tips for embodying biotensegrity in your yoga practice: 1. Imagine softening and widening each joint in your body. Lie on your back with your pelvis on a block, legs in the air. It is easiest to begin without weight-bearing to feel the matrix of space around each joint. Explore bending and straightening your knees. Feel the circumference of your knee joints. Imagine threading a needle with a fine piece of thread. When the joints come into a place of balanced tension there is a "threaded" feeling, and the bones almost seem to disappear. Joints become waterfalls of moving energy rather than holding zones of compression within our fascial web of tension. 2. Oscillating, varying, omni-directional movements are a great gift for loosening (or balancing) the braids of the fascial matrix. Have you ever had a tangled necklace in your drawer? In order to untangle the necklace, we must soften the chain and slowly jiggle/wiggle/oscillate the tissue 3-dimensionally, until it is ready to be untied. If we just pull the necklace strings in opposite directions, the knots just get tighter (and might eventually break). Have you ever felt this in a yoga posture; pulling, pulling, pulling (sometimes for years), and nothing is happening? The oscillation allows for holding patterns to soften, new neuromuscular movement patterns are programmed and hyper-flexible (or overstretched) parts of our bodies begin to re-integrate. Consider lying on your back again and moving your limbs like they are the limbs of an octopus slithering about in the ocean. Can you move in such a way so that the bones and joints of your body feel soft, light, fluid and hollow? Tensegrity structures feel light and strong, and yet they are relaxed and take up a comfortable amount of space (like a balloon or a bicycle wheel, light & strong). 3. Rest into Ease. A tensegrity body rests, even through sequences of dynamic movement. Tissues appear soft and balanced. There is an evenness of tone throughout the entire system. At any moment, ask yourself, where is the ease? Rather than having an argument with your body or holding on for dear life in a yoga posture, choose to move towards the ease. At first, it might feel like you are doing less, when in fact the vibrancy of the relationships within the inner landscape of your body are only beginning to really shine through. As the armor of your outer body is beginning to let go, the magnificence of the inner world is revealed. Notice what happens to the breath through ease. In moving towards the ease, layers of the body begin to slide and glide, we begin to feel the organ cavity of life in our bellies, and our yoga practice leaves us as open vehicles ready to receive whatever unexpected curveballs might be manifesting in our lives. 4. Taoist 70% Rule. In the Taoist Qi Gong practices, it is often suggested to apply 70% effort. Rather than the attitude of no pain, no gain, which can lead to common overuse injuries, strain to the adrenal glands and unhealthy competitive relationships with our self and the world. The principle upon which the 70% rule is based is that exploration and growth (in life and in a daily yoga practice) must begin by considering your weakest link. Do not seek maximum performance, as that quest may both damage the weak link and cause the whole system (physical, mental, emotional) to contract and tense up. Explore applying this Taoist idea in your yoga asana practice. Allow yourself to explore moving towards 100% and then backing off to a place where the body feels balanced and even. With a consistent daily practice, I feel much less prone to injury, my nervous system feels settled and I am more productive in relationships and other aspects of my life. What do you notice? Embodied Tensegrity These principles have the potential to lay the groundwork for any mindful movement practice. As the foundation of my yoga asana practice, I was introduced to principles of embodied tensegrity, through Gioia Irwin 4 years ago. In diving between the layers of the body and embracing the spaces that emerge, our fascial web begins to untangle and become more even. The myofascial meridians begin to flow more freely and limbs become light and hollow, like bamboo. The practice becomes an opportunity to maintain ease and fluidity in movement as the body goes through the natural changes of life. It is a practice of balance and patience, and it opens up a space for listening to the language of the cells in our bodies. Over time, a practice of space, balance, oscillation, ease and movement may also become a metaphor for the way that we live our lives. Perhaps our lives, as a whole, could even become integral tensegrity structures? Inspired by metaphors in movement, spatial awareness and a simple life, Sarah Manwaring-Jones has shared yoga for the last 10 years. She integrates a deep love of nature and the human form into the ancient practices of yoga through embodied principles of tensegrity and honoring her own experiences of life, love and loss. Sarah feels yoga is a gentle and kind hammock, a wide-open space to rest into for support in our busy lives.

Neti We have been asked to journal our Neti pot experience. I had never used one before our last YTT but my interest was piqued by our studies of the “Shat Kriyas” (Yoga recommends six purification processes to get and keep the equilibrium of these tridoshas. They are called as Shat kriyas (six purification processes). So over the past six weeks I have probably used the Neti pot about a dozen times, sometimes first thing, sometimes last thing at night. The first experience was painful as I didn’t have the water at the right temperature (warm) & I hadn’t used enough salt (½ tsp) Once you have the basics right and have been through the process a couple of times it is plain sailing from there on in. The children of course think it is completely disgusting and want to run away screaming but are also morbidly fascinated by the weird functions of the human body. Water up one nostril and straight out the other nostril! Whhhaaattt! “Yoga for Good Health” says: “…effective way to help keep nasal passages clear and soothe the mucous membrane that lines them. It increases the tolerance of the nasal lining to various irritants, and is a splendid treatment for sinus problems and allergic rhinitis.”

I have taken part in these three Instagram yoga challenges.

Meadowlark Yoga Studio in Edinburgh. This is where I am doing my YTT course & have been fortunate to have been teaching some Thursday slots as part of the AvidYogi yoga teacher training program.

The lovely Nadine Watton, yoga teacher who runs a regular monthly Yin Yang 2.5 hour workshop which I went to a couple of weeks ago. I am new to Yin & love it. I am regretful that I fell asleep during the yoga nidra part of the workshop 😴

A really gorgeous evening a few days after our 4th YTT to celebrate the opening of the Lululemon Edinburgh Store. We were invited for an evening yoga class led by Demelza Feltham, treated to delicious drinks & food and presented with a complimentary mat each.

And I went to this...

Eco yoga Loch Awe Argyle Scotland. I took the children here for a few days, we bathed a lot, hot tub, cold tub, plunge pool, waterfall, moonlit outdoor baths, utter bliss, and I got to practice in the studio alongside John Scott who was visiting Eco Yoga too.

High School Yoga

I love teaching children & teenagers. I am about to write to the Edinburgh Active Schools coordinators to ask if I could go into some local schools over lunch hour to teach yoga.

My beautiful & giddy students. Teen yoga class which has been running Thursday evenings at home honeyandlemonyoga

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